Top Five TV Actors Turned Movie Stars
Television and movies are easily the most important cultural entertainment systems of the modern era- spreading messages of comedy, tragedy, love, loss, and everything in between for the last hundred years. And from small screen to big screen, these actors made the effortless transition from TV to movies with breakthrough roles that most beg to get a chance to have. Today, I'm listing some of the best examples of an actor or actress transitioning from television to film. While this doesn't necessarily mean the actor did only television before their breakthrough, it was a certain show that let them become the modern stars of cinema today. However, I'm not counting any Saturday Night Live alumni- the list is so long and has so many candidates, they could make up an entire list by themselves. Number 5: Mila Kunis - That 70's Show While fellow cast members of this throwback television sitcom Topher Grace and Ashton Kutcher have become stars in their own right, neither have received the critical and commercial success this beautiful actress has achieved. Kunis plays Jackie Burkhart, the stereotypical pretty girl of the cast- shallow, rich, and not on the bright side. Despite these traits, Kunis brings in a charisma that makes her an incredibly like able and charming character. Coupled with her success later on in Family Guy, Mila Kunis has become one of the leading actresses in modern film. Whether she's bringing the laughs alongside Jason Segel or Mark Walhberg in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Ted respectively, undeniable sex appeal with Justin Timberlake in Friends with Benefits, or a dramatic heft in Black Swan, Kunis has displayed an innate talent to dominate any role thrown to her. Number 4: Johnny Depp - 21 Jump Street Did you even know this was a thing? Back in the 1980's, the world got their first taste of Johnny Depp in this undercover series. Depp portrays Tommy Hanson, an undercover cop in high school to crackdown on drugs and crime. Outlandish but undeniably fun, 21 Jump Street established Depp as a teen idol throughout the country. Although Depp wasn't much a fan of the possible typecasting, this TV role let him become the macabre master actor he is today; soon after his days in Jump Street, Depp controlled the 90's with performances in films like Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhand, Benny & Joon, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape?. Number 3: Bruce Willis - Moonlighting Before "Yippe ki-yay" became a common saying and Bruce Willis was a household name, he starred alongside Cybil Shepherd in this detective show on ABC. Not only did his deadpan delivery and skill as an action star bring this show to stardom, but he displayed a skill for drama, romance, and comedy that many forgetten he has. He beat out thousands of candidates for the slot in this cop show- and could you imagine what the world would be without Willis' contributions? If you can't, imagine the world without the only three good M. Night Shylamayan flicks, Butch Coolidge, and, of course, John McClane. Yippee ki-yay motherfucker. Number 2: George Clooney - E/R As the suave and charming doctor Doug Ross, George Clooney became a household name within the city of Los Angeles. Throughout the first five seasons of E.R., Clooney earned two Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series in mid-1990's. During this time, Clooney caught film director's attention with his film acting debut in From Dusk Till Dawn alongside Quentin Tarantino and Harvey Keitel, where he managed to steal the show from both of them. While movies like Batman & Robin may've slowed him down, he proved his starpower once his stint on E.R. ended- with the Ocean's trilogy, Syriana, and Up in the Air to name a few. That's all forgetting his directing and producing efforts, as well as his boyish charm and unrivalled sex appeal. Honorable Mentions *Jennifer Aniston - Friends *Robin Williams - Mork & Mindy *Jason Segel - How I Met Your Mother *Idris Elba - Luther *Jennifer Lawrence - The Bill Engvall Show *Joseph Gordon-Levitt - 3rd Rock from the Sun *Chris Pratt - Parks and Recreation *Michael J. Fox - Family Matters *Olivia Wilde - House Number 1: Will Smith - The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air This is a story, all about how A rapper's life got turnt upside down Now why don't you sit right there while I'll tell ya some things About how he became one of Hollywood's kings From a hit sitcom about a fictional Will He got the ratings, awards, and money to pay the bill From TV to Big Screen he didn't cut no slack With Independence Day, Bad Boys and Men in Black Then he dominated the 2000's and got a few Oscars All because he played the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air